It's Valentine's Day, and that seems like the perfect time to share a few thoughts about love. God's been teaching me about love lately! I believe He's showing me these things largely because of what He wants us to know before we adopt, but if I truly take these things to heart, they should prompt me to love everyone better!
Recently, I read I Kissed Dating Goodbye, and was surprised to find that I really liked the book and there was quite a bit in there that applies to all types of relationships, whether they be romantic, family, friends, or so forth. One question that made me think: Do I love others sacrificially, or just for what I get out of the relationship? The way Jesus loved is how we're supposed to love others, and he laid down his life for us! That makes me re-evaluate how I treat my husband, my friends, my family--and the kids we'll adopt. Being their mom will be a blessing, but it's really not about how easy or how hard my life may become.
I love this parable sort of thing that Joshua Harris (the author) gives: When a model puts on a designer's outfit, if that outfit is hideous, we don't think badly of the model, but of the designer. If I claim to be a follower of Christ, but I'm wearing the world's all-about-me, selfish, feel-good version of love, what kind of message am I delivering? I must "put on" God's kind of love and throw off the world's kind of pseudo-love. And that made me think of this verse: "...it is plain that you are Christ's letter... not written with ink but with the Spirit of the living God; not on stone tablets but on tablets that are hearts of flesh." (2 Cor 3:3) Whatever we do, we are Christ's letter to the world. Am I what He wants to be saying?
A dear friend reminded me recently that we're called to be servants. To love by serving others. We're not called to easy, trouble-free lives. In fact, we're called to live hard, love hard, and run to Jesus. That's a phrase Brock's dad used at Brock's memorial service because that's how Brock lived his brief but full life. The phrase has come to mean a great deal to me, but in a nutshell, I'd explain it this way: We are to live enthusiastically for today but with eternity in mind, love whole-heartedly even when it's difficult, and depend on Jesus for everything!
We are only capable of love because God loved us first; He gave us the ability to love. If we claim to love God, we must put action behind our words. God expects to love one another and expressly commands it! (See 1 John 4:21) Loving God includes loving people. We are to love God's children because that's how we show that we love God! If we know God--who IS love--then we will love others. Period. God loved us enough to send His son to pay the price for our sins; isn't it fitting that we sacrificially love others to show our appreciation in some small way?
Love is a choice--it can't be forced, even by God Himself, because then it isn't really love. Jesus chose to come here to earth, knowing what lay ahead of Him, and He chose to die on that cross. He didn't want to (remember His prayer in the garden of Gethsemane), but He chose to do it because that was the only way to save us, and He loved us that much. Love is an action verb! It's not a passive feeling or a bunch of daydreamy thoughts, and it sometimes requires us to do some hard things.
Mother Teresa said, "Keep the joy of loving God in your heart and share this joy with all you meet, especially your family." Enjoy yourValentine's Action Verb Day, and go love some folks!!!
Recently, I read I Kissed Dating Goodbye, and was surprised to find that I really liked the book and there was quite a bit in there that applies to all types of relationships, whether they be romantic, family, friends, or so forth. One question that made me think: Do I love others sacrificially, or just for what I get out of the relationship? The way Jesus loved is how we're supposed to love others, and he laid down his life for us! That makes me re-evaluate how I treat my husband, my friends, my family--and the kids we'll adopt. Being their mom will be a blessing, but it's really not about how easy or how hard my life may become.
I love this parable sort of thing that Joshua Harris (the author) gives: When a model puts on a designer's outfit, if that outfit is hideous, we don't think badly of the model, but of the designer. If I claim to be a follower of Christ, but I'm wearing the world's all-about-me, selfish, feel-good version of love, what kind of message am I delivering? I must "put on" God's kind of love and throw off the world's kind of pseudo-love. And that made me think of this verse: "...it is plain that you are Christ's letter... not written with ink but with the Spirit of the living God; not on stone tablets but on tablets that are hearts of flesh." (2 Cor 3:3) Whatever we do, we are Christ's letter to the world. Am I what He wants to be saying?
A dear friend reminded me recently that we're called to be servants. To love by serving others. We're not called to easy, trouble-free lives. In fact, we're called to live hard, love hard, and run to Jesus. That's a phrase Brock's dad used at Brock's memorial service because that's how Brock lived his brief but full life. The phrase has come to mean a great deal to me, but in a nutshell, I'd explain it this way: We are to live enthusiastically for today but with eternity in mind, love whole-heartedly even when it's difficult, and depend on Jesus for everything!
We are only capable of love because God loved us first; He gave us the ability to love. If we claim to love God, we must put action behind our words. God expects to love one another and expressly commands it! (See 1 John 4:21) Loving God includes loving people. We are to love God's children because that's how we show that we love God! If we know God--who IS love--then we will love others. Period. God loved us enough to send His son to pay the price for our sins; isn't it fitting that we sacrificially love others to show our appreciation in some small way?
I pray that you will understand the words of Jesus, “Love one another as I have loved you.” Ask yourself “How has he loved me? Do I really love others in the same way?” Unless this love is among us, we can kill ourselves with work and it will only be work, not love. Work without love is slavery. ~Mother TeresaServing others and loving even those who are difficult might seem too hard for us, but if we have the Holy Spirit in us, then we're enabled to love His way. The first part of the fruit of the spirit is love, so we have love, along with joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. (Gal 5:22) We might choose to ignore it, but it's there and we can't legitimately claim to not have enough patience or self-control... or love.
Love is a choice--it can't be forced, even by God Himself, because then it isn't really love. Jesus chose to come here to earth, knowing what lay ahead of Him, and He chose to die on that cross. He didn't want to (remember His prayer in the garden of Gethsemane), but He chose to do it because that was the only way to save us, and He loved us that much. Love is an action verb! It's not a passive feeling or a bunch of daydreamy thoughts, and it sometimes requires us to do some hard things.
Mother Teresa said, "Keep the joy of loving God in your heart and share this joy with all you meet, especially your family." Enjoy your
